Manors – Estonia's Most Distinctive Real Estate

One beautiful spring day, as I drove through the chestnut tree avenue leading to Konuvere Manor and the classical manor house supported by massive columns came into view, I felt a jolt run through my heart as an already experienced real estate agent – was this the type of property I had never sold before, could I prove myself here, would I manage to wait for a buyer… There were many questions in my head and a nervous anticipation in a good sense…

A manor is special real estate, and selling one is a great challenge for any real estate agent. The entire process takes years because there are few conscious and capable buyers who have a clear plan for what to do and the desire to invest their time and money.

This uniqueness is also reflected in the small number of manor transactions and the fact that not every future manor owner may be able to handle the obligations that such a purchase brings with it.

A couple of transactions per year

In Estonia, there are approximately 1,300 documented manors. There are farmer manors, noble manors, and church manors, along with their associated auxiliary buildings, which are usually located some distance from the main building. Estonia has the most noble manors, which belonged mainly to private owners who possessed privileges and rights such as judicial and police authority, hunting rights, permission to brew beer and distill spirits, operate taverns and mills.

While manors once remained in the hands of one family for centuries and, when sold, passed to another family, today manors are on the free market and buyers are the most diverse people, including many foreigners.

Each year, a couple of individual manors change ownership. For example, in 2014, Hatu and Nabala Manor were sold, in 2016 Oti Manor in Saaremaa, in 2019 Pirgu and Kiviloo Manors, and in 2020 Padise Manor. Prices have remained in the range of 40,000 – 1,500,000 euros. There have also been years when no manors were sold.

From 2021 to today, larger manors requiring significant capital investments have been sold in the price range of 50,000 – 250,000 euros, including, for example, Mäo, Mündi, and Abja Manors.

Today, there are approximately 20 manor complexes on offer across Estonia, of which Kinnisvarabüroo Uus Maa's agent is the beautiful Ohtu Manor in Harjumaa, Saaremaa's oldest manor Oti, Raplamaa's pearl Loodna, Norra and Seidla Manors located in Järva County, and the Kõrgepalu Manor complex located in the Haanja hill landscape.

A manor brings many obligations

So why is the sale of manors so time-consuming and why must one wait so long for the right buyer?

Manor houses, their auxiliary buildings, and parks are cultural monuments, which means, among other things, certain restrictions and rules that must be followed. First and foremost, these are precise guidelines on how to renovate buildings.

For example, all existing old materials must be preserved, or if details have been damaged, replaced with equivalent ones. Regarding the color scheme of the external finish of buildings or the paintings and ornaments of interior spaces, specific characteristic tones are required that correspond to the time when the building was constructed. Heating solutions and air source heat pumps as an addition to buildings are also not permitted.

Building additional structures is also complicated. They must fit onto preserved ruins and foundations.

To this day, rare tree and shrub species have been preserved in manor parks, which can be counted on the fingers of one hand across all of Estonia. For example, in Konuvere Manor Park, this is the Tatarian dogwood, and for this reason every tree and stump is counted and protected.

Heritage protection specialists are helpful to the owner in this regard, because both the state and all of us are interested in historical buildings and their surrounding environment being preserved and restored as much as possible.

A home, hotel, or concert venue

Acquiring a manor is not merely an emotional purchase; it is also an investment for future generations. Every manor owner must take into account that their courtyard will not only be visited by friends and family members, but also by many strangers who wish to feel the breath of history and enjoy a beautiful environment. Therefore, many manor houses and complexes are boutique hotels, spas, museums, or concert venues, because using the building as a home can be disrupted by the eyes of strangers.

At the same time, adapting a manor as one's own home is not entirely out of the question, because generally the manor houses are large and it is quite possible to create a home in one wing of the building.

Konuvere found good hands

But back to the beginning. How did it go with Konuvere Manor?

Based on my 16 years of real estate experience, I know that every property will find a buyer. The most important keywords here are price, time, the agent's skills and knowledge, and patience.

The sale process for the manor took three years in total, until finally, in the summer of 2022, a buyer said yes who had thoroughly understood everything connected with Konuvere Manor and knew exactly how to maintain such a complex bursting with history.

I can confidently say that this manor found a worthy buyer and is well cared for.

Article author: Külli Friedrichson, Head of Residential Properties at Uus Maa Real Estate Office.